Refractory brick suspension arrangement



Oct. 15, 1968 J. L. STEIN 3,405,668

REFRACTORY BRICK SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENT Filed Dec. 10, 1965 FIG. I.

mvsnroa: BY 7 JOSEPH L. STEIN AYTYS.

United States Patent 0,

3,405,668 REFRACTORY BRICK SUSPENSION ARRANGEMENT Joseph L. Stein, Cherry Hill, N.J., assignor to General Refractories Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Dec. 10, 1965, Ser. No. 512,850 6 Claims. (Cl. 110-99) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A refractory brick suspension arrangement including a loop-shaped metal rod hanger, the leg portions of the hanger having parallel perpendicular foot portions, the foot portions of the hanger being received within a single socket in a side face of a refractory brick upon compression of the leg portions of the hanger, the socket in the brick being substantially parallel to and spaced from the cold face of the brick. A recess is provided in the side wall of the brick to receive the leg portions of the hanger, the side walls of the recess being inclined parallel with the hanger leg portions to permit the seating of the leg portions thereagainst. The described arrangement permits the flush mounting of a thin metal casing over the side wall of the brick covering the recessed legs of the hanger and the hanger socket.

The present invention relates generally to refractory brick suspension arrangements of the type used in constructing walls and roofs of industrial furnaces, and relates more particularly to a novel hanger for suspending or connecting a refractory brick to a furnace roof or wall support structure.

The suspension of individual refractory bricks from a supporting framework on the exterior of furnace roofs and walls is commonly employed for a variety of purposes. For example, the individual bricks of a sprung arch may be provided with suspension means to prevent collapse of the arch as the bricks are consumed in service. Alternatively, suspended refractory bricks may be hung directly from a rigid support to form a furnace roof, thus eliminating the need for the forms on which arches are usually constructed. Suspension arrangements are further employed in the patching of furnace walls and arches, particularly during furnace operation. In addition, suspended refractory bricks connected to rigid supports or framework are used in vertical furnace walls to prevent bowing of the walls in service.

Various arrangements have heretofore been developed for the suspension of refractory bricks. One arrangement is characterized by large openings or slots preformed in the brick sides for engagement with an arm of a heavy cast hanger. Such asystem is expensive because of the quantity and size of the hangers involved. Furthermore, a substantial amount of the refractory material must be preserved as a barrier to prevent heat damage to the hanger, and the brick, due to the limited permissible consumption, is not efliciently utilized. This type of suspension in addition requires wiring, strapping or manual force to hold the bricks on the hangers until adjacent bricks have been placed in position. Not only are additional installation steps required, but a safety hazard is presented since the bricks may be dislodged in spite of precautionary measures.

3,405,668 Patented Oct. 15, 1968 Another arrangement employs sheet metal hanger tabs extending from the steel plating normally used with basic refractories, the hanger tabs being bendable into position at the time of installation. The bendable tab arrangement is satisfactory in most respects but requires considerable time and effort in prying and bending the tabs into a serviceable position. Should the bricks be supplied with the tabs in an extended position, the cost of manufacturing is significantly increased and the bricks in this condition can be unsafe for fast, eificient handling.

Another suspension arrangement employs a metal tab which is slidable into mounting position from a recessed position within the refractory plating. The main drawback in such a construction is the lack of a positive anchor to the refractory material.

A number of variations on the above described suspension arrangements have been proposed but in almost every instance are characterized by certain of the cited disadvantages.

The present suspension arrangement is characterized by a relatively small socket extending from a side face of the brick into the brick parallel with the cold brick face. A hanger of metal rod having an inverted U-shape includes perpendicular foot portions adapted for insertion into the socket of the brick, the socket being of a narrower width than the relaxed spacing of said foot portions so that the foot portions must be pressed together to spring load the hanger for insertion into the brick socket. A suitable recess is provided in the brick face between the socket and the cold face of the brick to permit the hanger to be recessed within the brick face, thus permitting the uninterrupted plating of the brick. Although plating is not essential, it serves to further protect the hanger as well as to additionally secure the hanger in place during shipment and installation.

It is accordingly a first object of the present invention to provide a refractory brick suspension arrangement having a simplified rod-type hanger securely seated in a recess and socket in a face of the brick, permitting installation of a plate or casing thereover.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a refractory hanger arrangement as described the hanger of which, in the plated or encased embodiment, is shielded from heat and corrosion by the protective brick plating or casing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a refractory brick hanger arrangement as described which may be safely and easily handled and installed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refractory brick hanger arrangement as described which may be economically manufactured.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a metal rod hanger of the type adapted for use in the present suspension arrangement;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view showing the cold end of an encased refractory brick, the casing being broken away to show the details of the hanger socket and recess;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view showing the assembled hanger and brick of FIGS. 1 and 2, the brick plating being broken away to show the manner in which the hanger is seated in the brick recess and socket; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3 showing in further detail the seating of the hanger in the brick.

Referring to the drawings, the present suspension arrangement is shown embodied in a refractory brick 10 having a rectangular cross-section. Since, as in the usual suspension arrangement the present hanger is connected to the brick at the upper or outer end of the brick adjacent what is known as the cold face of the brick, only this one end of the brick is shown in the drawings. The present hanger arrangement may be suitably used for a variety of types and shapes of refractory bricks includingburned and unburned chemically bonded bricks.

In the illustrated embodiment, the brick 10 is suspended by means of a hanger 12 seated within a socket 14 in a side face 16 of the brick, the socket 14 being substantially parallel with and spaced from the cold face 18 of the brick. The hanger 12 is formed of a metal rod, preferably stainless steel, and is formed in an inverted U-shape having parallel leg portions 20 and a connecting loop portion 22 as shown in FIG. 1. The lower ends of the leg portions extend perpendicularly to the plane of the loop and leg portions to form the parallel foot portions 24 which are adapted to seat within the brick socket,

The socket 14 in the brick is of a substantially narrower width than the "spacing between the foot portions 24 of the hanger when the hanger is in the relaxed condition shown in FIG. 1. The hanger foot portions must accordingly be forced together to spring load the hanger for insertion of the foot portions into the socket 14 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. This spring loading of the hanger-serves to secure the hanger in place in the socket during shipping, storage and installation of the brick.

To prevent interference of the hanger with adjoining bricks, to permit the full face plating or encasing of the brick, and to protect the hanger from undue exposure to heat and oxidizing gases, a recess 26 is provided in the face 16 of the brick extending from the socket 14 to the cold face 18. The side walls 28 of the recess are preferably inclined as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 so as to be parallel to the legs 20 of the hanger to permit the firm seating of the legs thereagainst. This arrangement adds substantially to the rigidity of the hanger attachment.

Although the present hanger arrangement is suitable for bricks which do not employ a protective metal plate or casing therearound, the arrangement is particularly well suited for the application of such a casing. In the drawings a casing 30 is shown surrounding the side walls of the brick including the side wall 16, the casing comprising a thin metal sheet extending substantially to the cold face 18. Since the hanger 12 is recessed into the face 16, there is no intereference with the application of the casing. Although, as pointed out above, the casing is not essential to secure the hanger in the brick, it does serve to positively lock the hanger in the socket. The recess 26 is preferably of a sufiicient depth so as to provide a clearance 32 between the hanger legs 20 and the casing 30 when the hanger is seated against the face 34 of the recess as shown in FIG. 4. Although the shape of the socket 14 can be varied as desired, for ease of manufacture it is preferably tapered slightly inwardly as shown in FIG, 4 to facilitate the molding of the brick.

The loop type hanger has the advantage of being relatively safe for handling and shipping since there are no sharp edges protruding from the assembly. The positive seating of the hanger in the socket and recess and the additional locking of the hanger in the socket when the brick is encased as illustrated insure against the possibility of the brick dropping from the hanger during installation, a serious hazard with other types of hangers, some of which rely on the proximity of adjacent bricks to hold the brick on the hanger. The loop type hanger is readily adapted for use with conventional hanger extensions for connection i ,7 l j 4 to a furnace supporting superstructure, and is of course adapted for use either fiat or arched furnace roofs or in furnace wall structures.

A particular advantage of the present structure is the isolation of the hanger from the intense heat and corrosive gases present along the brick faces by means of the recessing of the hanger into the brick face to protect the hanger legs. By providing a clearance 32 in the encased brick embodiment between the hanger and the casing, heat is not transferred from the casing to the hanger by conduction. Since the hanger is in this manner protected to a degree from surface oxidation, a relatively light weight hanger may be employed thereby reducing the cost of materials required as well as the weight of the assembly. The damage from surface oxidation is further reduced by fabricating the hanger from metal rod, since having a circular cross-section the hanger surface area exposed in proportion to the metal thickness is minimized.

The shape of the hanger loop portion may be varied as desired to accommodate different types of hanger extensions. Similarly the leg portions of the hanger, although illustrated as parallel, may be inwardly or outwardly inclined in the relaxed condition of the hanger. As a further possible variation, the brick may have two spaced sockets to receive the hanger leg portions rather than the single socket described.

From the foregoing it can be understood that the present hanger structure, whether utilized with or without the protective plating or casing, can be manufactured and installed economically in contrast to more complex conventional suspension arrangements. Should the suspension be used with an unplated or unenc-ased brick, the hanger would normally be mounted in the brick at the time of manufacture although it may optionally be installed at the time of installation should it prove desirable to transport and store the bricks without the extending hanger.

Manifestly, changes in details of construction can be effected by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in and limited solely by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A refractory brick hanger assembly comprising a refractory brick having a socket in a side wall thereof substantially parallel to and spaced from the cold face of the brick, a metal rod hanger having an inverted U- shape including leg portions joined by a loop portion, the lower ends of said leg portions terminating in spaced foot portions extending substantially perpendicularly to the A plane of the hanger loop and leg portions, said foot portions of said hanger being seated in said socket with at least the loop portion of said hanger projecting perpendicularly above the cold face of the brick, the width of said socket being smaller than the spacing between said hanger foot portions when said hanger is in the detached relaxed condition, whereby compression of the hanger is necessary for introduction of said foot portions into said socket, the compressed hanger providing a spring-loaded attachment of the hanger to the brick, and a recess in said side wall of said brick extending between said socket and said brick cold face adapted to receive the leg portions of said hanger.

2. The invention as claimed in claim 1 wherein the depth of said recess is greater than the diameter of said hanger rod, said hanger leg portions being seated against the face of said recess to provide a clearance between said hanger and the plane of said brick side wall.

3. The invention as claimed in claim 2 wherein the side walls of said recess are inclined parallel with said hanger leg portions to permit the seating of the leg portions thereagainst.

4. The invention as claimed in claim 1 including a thin metal protective casing covering said side wall of said brick, said casing substantally covering said recess, socket and the portions of said hanger seated in said recess and socket.

5 6 5. The invention as claimed in claim 4 wherein the References Cited fiifi ffoi l iiiiigifiigiifififis3255:2323 325$ UNITED STATES PATENTS g a a the face of said recess to provide a clearance between the 5 5 351 10/1966 Burklo at 110-99 hanger and said casing. 5 8 11/1966 Walt 110-99 6. The invention as claimed in claim 5 wherein the FOREIGN PATENTS side walls of said recess are inclined parallel to the leg 1,273,174 10/1961 France portions of said hanger to permit the seating of the leg portions thereagainst. FREDERICK KETTERER, Primary Examiner. 

